Apparatus for starting the flow of flowing wells



Feb. 17, 1931. F. P-RICE 1,793,193

APPARATUS FOR STARTING THE FLOW OF FLOWING WELLS- Filed Sept; 15, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 17, 1931. PRICE 1,793,193

APPARATUS FOR STARTING THE FLOW 0F FLOWING WELLS Filed Sept. 15, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 17, 1931.

F. PRICE APPARATUS FOR STARTING THE FLOW OF FLOWING WELLS Filed Sept. 15, 1930 l I f: i

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I r v f 7 Patented Feb. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK PRICE, OF ASHER, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO PRICETRAWICK, INC., A CORPORATION OF OKLAHOMA APPARATUS FOR STARTING THE FLOW OF FLOWING WELLS Application filed September 15, 1930. Serial No. 482,106.

eastern oil fields or, in other words, for startair or gas under pressure is introduced into ing the flow from the well. It may very appropriately be said to be a flowing well flow starter.

By flowing type well I mean a well in which the casing to exert a pressure on the top of the column of oil or water or fluid therein to force the said fluid down in said casing and up out of said pipe, or vice versa.

lhis is now a very well known method of extracting oil from Wells after the initial or natural gas pressure has become dissipated or dropped to such a low pressure as to fail to force oil or fluid up from the well.

Once the natural gas pressure has become so exhausted or reduced as to be inoperative to cause the upward flow of fluid from the well, it is essential to cause such flowby artificial means, either by some mechanical means, as by a rotary pump, or by exerting a pressure on the top of the liquid column in one tubular passage to force a column of the liquid up out of a related tubular passage, such pressure being applied, in practice, by means of air or natural gas under pressure.

This method of extracting the fluid by the application of air or natural gas under pressure has been developed, comparatively speaking, during very recent years, and is by far the preferred method of working or flowing a well because of the fact that the output is not limit-ed by the capacity of any pumping means, the only limit beingthe flow capacity or size of the tubular passage up through which the fluid flows. Further in more recent Wells of great depth, say from 4500 10 {3300 feet, it is not practical to pump up the However,while the method of extracting the oil or fluid from a Well by flowing it by air or natural gas pressure is by far the most eflicient and preferable, a great difliculty has heretofore been encountered in starting the flow of the fluid up from its natural level through the vertical pipe, casing or conduit to the surface of the ground. While this difliculty may be overcome without undue ex pense or inconvenience by old methods in a relatively shallow well, say 2500 to 3000 feet, because the column of oil to be lifted and started in motion or flowing is only 2500 to 3000 feet high and so is of much less weight in total than the corresponding fluid column of say 4500 to 7500 feet in height in a well from 4:500 to 7500 feet deep, ithas heretofore presented an almost unsurmountable difiiculty in deep Wells ranging from 4500 to 7500 feet in depth, becoming increasingly more diflicult as the depth increases.

In practice under heretofore known methods, it is found that to kick off, or break out, or start the flowing of a well it requires about two (2) to two and a half (2%) times the amount of pressure of air or natural gas as it does to keep up the steady normal flow of the same well once it has been started flowing. Just why this is so I am not certain. It may be due to the fact that initially before the air or natural gas introduced as a pressure agent enters the bottom of the'tubular conduit, the column of oil to be lifted therein is a solid body of fluid and, further, that it is stationary, whereas after the air or natural gas enters the bottom of said conduit it occupies space that otherwise would be occupied by fluid or oil and also, after the oil once starts flowing, there may be a siphon action or influence that aids in lifting the column. However, whatever the reason for the diflt'erence in flow starting and flow maintaining pressures, it is afact that such differences are found to exist in connection with all flow type wells.

The kicking ofl or flow starting pressures under the prior practices will vary considerably between several wells of the same depth due to variations between the grades casing and tubing or bottom intake f il,

the better it is for the well, because you are pulling the oil out of the sand and not press ing the sediments, such as scale and parafiine and other base sediments, back into the sand.

With the recent general tendency to drill deeper wells from around 3500 feet to very deep wells of from 7500 feet and over, there has been a very great increase in the pressures required under prior known practices to start the flow, such required pressures often running as high as fifteen to eighteen hundred pounds. When such great pressures as these are employed the compressors become overheated and are apt to jam or burn up and there are great risks of the air pipes, or gate valves, or casing heads bursting, resulting in series injuries and even fatalities to the operatives, and even so in the Very deep wells it is impractical to kick them off from the bottom of the well, say from a point 5000 feet below the surface of the ground where the oil level is 2000 feet below the ground surface, because it is not practical to build up a suflicient air or natural gas pressure to lift the 5000 foot column of oil in the tubular conduit so as to start the flow of fluid from the head of the conduit, prior to the entry of air or natural gas into the bottom of the fluid dis-- charge conduit.

In very deep wells by, the old method it has been necessary to kick them off at a relatively shallow point in the oil body and thereafter to drop the tubing down in successive stages, involving a new kick off for each stage, which is quite a complicated and very expensive feat and often not successful.

My invention has been developed with the foregoing considerations in view and has for its primary object to provide a method or system for kicking ofi, breaking out, or starting the flow of a well by an air or natural gas pressure appreciably less than the air or natural gas pressure necessary to maintain such fiow of the well after the flow has once been started. After such flow has once been started the same pressure will be required to keep it flowing as is required by previously known methods to maintain the flow, so that m invention is purely and'simply a metho for kicking off, breaking out, or starting the flow, as distinguished from well flowing apparatus or methods.

My inventionalso involves, as details, an improved valve construction, a special valved collar unit, yielding means for fioatingly maintaining the valve in proper relation for movement with relation to its seat and for permitting the angular movement of said valve with relation toits seat, and various other details.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a diagrammatic view of an apparatus according to my invention by which my new method invention of kicking ofi, breaking out, or starting the flow of 9.

flowingtype well may be practiced by employing an air compressor or air pump and compretsed air tank as the source of compressed gaseous medium;

Figure 2, a view similar to Fig. 1 in which natural gas from a gas well under its natural high gas pressure is used as the source of supply of gaseous pressure medium and connected right on to the pressure lines, the pump or compressor and the pressure storage tank bein eliminated;

Figure 3, a vertical sectional view, on a scale approximately two-thirds full size, of one of the valved collars and the adjacent portion of casing and employing the preferred form of double or two-way operating valve in neutral position;

Figure 4, a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 3 with the pressure medium flowing down in the casing as indicated by the arrow, the outer valve having been forced radially inward to closed position by the rush of volume of the pressure medium therethrough;

Figure 5, a View similar to Fig. 4: with the pressure medium flowing down in the tubing as indicated by the arrow, the inner valve having been forced radially outward to closed position by the pressure of the gaseous pressure medium in said tubing;

Figure 6, a cross-section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Figure 7, a detail perspective exploded view of the parts of the valve;

Figure 8, a view similar to Fig. 3 of a modified form of one-way valve, closing radially inward, the gaseous pressure medium being introduced in the casing and passing downward as indicated by the arrow; and

Figure 9, a view similar to Fig. 8 of a further modified form of one-way valve closing radially outwardly, the gaseous pressure medium being introduced in the tubing and passing downward as indicated by the arrow; and

Figure 10, a sectional view, drawn to full size, on line 10-10 of Fig. 6.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, A indicates the air pump or compressor; B the compressed air storage tank; 0 a pipe line extending between the interior of the top ofthe casing K and the interior of said tank B to permit the flow of pressure medium, which may be compressed air, from said tank into the top of said casing K; D, pipe connection between compressor A and tank 13, E a short pipe connection adapted to establish communication between the interior of the top of the well tubing N and said pipe C, being tapped into, or connected to, the latter by a T connection F; Ga main supply valve interposed in said pipe C between the source of pressure medium supply, such as tank and the point of communication at F of pipe E with pipe C; -H a control valve interposed in the pipe line C between said point F and the top of the casing K; I a control valve interposed in the pipe line E between the point F and the top of the tubing N; J a pressure gage tapped into pipe line E between point F and control valve I; L the casing discharge nozzle at the top of the casing and in communication therewith; O the discharge nozzle at the top of the tubing and in communication therewith; M the casing discharge nozzle control valve, and P the tubing discharge control valve.

With the above arrangement of apparatus, assuming the well to be flowing, if the valves G, H and P are open and the valves I and M are closed the gaseous pressure medium will enter into the casing and work downward therein to maintain the flow of the liquid in the well up through tubing N and out through the tubing discharge nozzle 0. If on the other hand the valves G, I and M are open and the valves H and P are closed, the gase ous pressure medium will enter into the tub ing and work downward therein to maintain the flow of liquid in the well up through the casing K and out through the casing discharge nozzle L.

i The construction, arrangement and operation thus far are known and in general use in the prior known practices of kicking off. breaking out, or startingthe flow of, a flowing well, and in thereafter flowing a well and so far as thus described are not new or novel with me, but they have been thus briefly described and fully illustrated because they are employed as elements of the preferred embodiment of my new apparatus employed to practice my new method, system or process of kicking off, breaking out or starting the flow of a flowing well.

My invention considered in its broader aspects involves both a special apparatus for, and a special method or system for, starting the flow whereby air or other gaseous medium under pressure-will be admitted successively and cut off at intervals of the vertical conduit containing the liquid to be raised to occupy space therein that would otherwise be occupied by said liquid and so to lighten the total weight of the resultant column of liquid and gas to be lifted or started flowing, whereby the force or pressure required to start the flow in the preferred apparatus is much less than the force'or pressure necessary to maintain the flow once it is started. because the gaseous pressure medium occupies a greater percentage ofthe space in said tubular conduit in the initial starting stage where my apparatus and method are employed than it does during the usual flowing of the well.

In making my apparatus I provide a series of valves 1 respectively controlling ports 2 opening through the side wall of the tubing N and arrange my apparatus with the lower end of thetubing N about thirty feet from the bottom of the well with the lowest port 2 with'its cooperating valve 1 disposed preferably one hundred and ten (110) feet from the bottom of the tubing N, the remaining cooperating ports 2 and valves 1 respectively being arranged at the same one hundred and ten (110) foot intervals up to a point one hundred and ten (110) feet below the initial surface of the fluid or surface of the static head. It is not essential that this exact spacing of one hundred and ten (110) feet be observed, as the apparatus will still function on the same principle to start the flow by the same method, system or process if this spacing interval be varied and the size of the ports 2, valves 1, and, the strength of their springs 3 be modified accordingly. If the spacing interval be modified by decreas ing the interval between therespective sets of valves 1 and ports 2 the number of such sets required in a given length of tubing N will be increased while the amount of pressure required to kick off or start the flow of, the well will be decreased. For instance if a collar 4 with a port 2 and valve member 1 be interposed between the adjacent ends of each two lengths of pipe, being thus spaced approximately twenty-two feet apart the flow starting or kicking off pressure required will be very. much less than that required where said collars 4 are interposed in the tub ing at the end of each fifth pipe section, that is at intervals of approximately one hundred and ten (110) feet from the bottom of the tubing upward to a point approximately one hundred and ten (110) feet below the level of the static head indicated at X. How-- ever, the expense of using the collars 4 with their special ports 2 and valve elements 1 between each two pipe sections of the tubing N would be rather excessive and not warranted because spacing at greater intervals is found sufficient to answer the need.

On the other hand spacing at intervals greater than one hundred and ten feet results in rapidly increasing the flow starting or kicking ofl'pressure required, it being borne in mind that for each foot of increase of said spacing intervals two additional solid feet of oil or fluidmust be vertically raised or lifted two feet in the tubular conduit. In actual practice the method has been efficiently practiced by apparatus such as above described wherein however the collars 4 with their ports 2 and valve members 1 were interposed at intervals of each seven pipe sections, that is, in other words, at intervals of approximately one hundred and fifty four (154) feet, but the How starting or kicking off pressure required was greatly increased,

'for instance in one well a spacing atllO feet was used andthe flow starting or kicking off pressure required was one hundred and fifty .(150) lbs. to the square inch, the tubing N was then pulled up, the spacingaltered to one hnndred and fifty four (154) feet, the tubingN lowered into thecasing K of the well and pressure applied, and the fiow starting or kicking off pressure required was one hundred and ninety (190) lbs. to the square.-

inch. In both cases all other conditions were the same, the two tests were conducted within 48 hours of each other and thewell was flowed through the tubing N in each case. Also, the working or flowing pressure was 425 lbs. in each instance, and the volume of gaseous material necessary to flow the well was the same, exactly as under prior known practices.

The essence of my new method or system of flow starting or kicking off a well consists simply 1n successively injecting a quantity of air or gas into the vertical fluid conduit at different preferably equally spaced vertical levels, and closing the port through which each such successive injection is made preferably before the next point of injection is reached until the lowest port 2 is closed by its valve 1 and the gaseous pressure medium works its way down from the last port 2 to the lower end of the tubing and then reverses and comes upward forcing the well fluid up with it, and in maintainingsaid ports 2, after they have once been closed by their valve members 1, permanently closed thereafter by their said valve members 1 so long as the flow of the well is continued.

In practice I have employed apparatus comprising 2 inch to 3 inch tubing having a port opening of inch closed by a suitable -7 inch valve normally held in neutral position by resilient means yielding radially in: wardly under the rush of gaseous pressure rushing through said port from the casing K into the tubing N when the. said -medium attains a volume of 187 cubic feet per minute to pull the radially outer conical or spherical valve a against the outer valve seat of said port 2 when the gaseous pressure medium is introduced in said casing K. Thereafter a pressure in the casing of thirty-eight (38) pounds serves to hold said radially outer valve a on its seat to keep it closed, whereas a pressure of at least fifty pounds in said casing is necessary to attain a flow of 187 cubic feet of gaseous pressure medium through the port 2, so that once closed the valve will remain closed so long as the well is flowing -as the flow starting or kickingoil pressure will always be in excess of fifty (50) pounds and after the flow has once strated the pressure will thereafter rapidly build up to its regular working or flowing pressure.

Where the gaseous pressure medium has been introduced through the tubing N the exact same collars 4 with the same size of ports 2 and valve members 1 with radially outer valve a and radially inner valve 1) have been used and the-pressure built up in the tubing N, as distinguished from the rate of flow or volume of gaseous pressure medium passing the radially outward rush of air through said port 2 attains a volume of 187 cubic feet per minute before such pressure is attained the said inner valve would be closed by volume instead of by pressure.

Thus it will be seen that the preferred form of yalve is both a pressure and a volume operated or controlled valve.

The pressure medium may be supplied either by the pump or compressor A with its connected compressed air storage tank B from which the compressed air passes through pipe line C, as illustrated in Fig. 1, or if there is available a source of natural gas under sufficiently high pressure, such as indicated at A, it may be used in substitution for the air compressor A and storage tank B and may be connected by a pipe line B to the pressure medium supply pipe line C, all as illustrated in Fig. 2.

In the preferred construction of collar 4, a portion of the wall thereof is thickened in a radial direction and preferably vertically slotted with a deep slot extending radial- 1y inwardly sufficiently to accommodate,

ide, and protect the valve member 1 and its sprin 3 and to insure that the valve member 1 will have sufiicient roomto close in either direction under all conditions. Preferably when the valve 6 is seated against its corresponding seat of the port 2 the lateral walls of said slot will extend radially outward for about one eighth of an inch beyond the sprin 3 and the valve mounting screw 7, and 0 course well beyond the spring mounting screw 6.

Preferably a spacing washer 7 will be dis posed about the spring mounting screw 6 between the radially inner face of the spring 3 and the opposed radially inner wall of said slot in order to permit the spring to flex in both directions. Other constructlons to this same end may be adapted but this is preferred as most economical of manufacture.

For the same reason the distance from the inner face of the free end of the spring 3, that is the end portion carrying the valve member 1, and the radially inner face of valve or is so calculated that when the radially outer valve 41 is seated on the outer seat of the port 2 there will be a clearance in a radial Kill lid

avearee The preferred construction of valve member 1 consists of a conical or semi-spherical radially inner valve 6 having an axially extending stem c, a radially outer centrally axially bored internally screw-threaded valve at having a radially outwardly extending spacing shoulder 6 formed with a coned, rounded or convex radially outer end preferably concentric with the axial bore which extends through said valve a and shoulder e, and a mountin screw 7 which has the radially inner face of its head coned, rounded or convex and presented in opposition to the outer end face of said shoulder e, the screw passing through the perforation g in the free end of spring 3 and into the screw threaded bore extending through the valve a and its shoulder at, which are preferably integral with each other as shown. 7

The stem 0 is formed with an outer screwthreaded portion it to turn into the valve or with a stop shoulder cl intermediate oi the length of said stem and between said screwthreaded portion It and the valve b, said shoulder 03 being engaged by the radially inner :tace of valve a to maintain the proper dlstance between the valves a and b, and the screw-threaded portion is or? such length as to extend suilicient-ly into the bore in the valve 0; to be engaged by the opposed radially inner end of the screw before the latter has been turned in sutliciently to bind the spring 3 between the opposed laces oi the shoulder e and screw whereby the valve member 1 as a unit will be held positioned by said spring 8 with freedom to wobble to any one of a" number of angular positions with respect to the port 2 to seat itsell in any one of a number of positions, for instance in case there be any particles of sand or scale on the seats oi the ort 2 the said valve member 1 ma 1 wobble to such an angle its closing will not be obstructed.

'lhejamming of the end of screw f against the end of portion it of course serves to lock both parts in the bore of valve a.

Of course, in case the port 2 should become clogged by sand or scale so that the valve a or b as the case may he could not properly seat itself, the direction of gaseous pressure may be temporarily reversed to blow out the foreign matter and the valves 12 and b will serve to limit the movement of the unit 1 and the flexing or bending of the spring 8 to pre vent damage to the latter.

The port 2 is preferably a separate disc or cylinder mounted and definitely held in position in the collar l by being pressed into an opening in said collar preferably approximately two one-thousandths at an inch less in diameter than said disc or port 2, about two thousand pounds pressure being required to force said ports 2 into position.

()1? course any material suitable to the conditions under which the apparatus is to be used may be employed, but owing to the fact that practically all oil wells have different minerals, salt water, corroding agents, and parafiine and base sediments present in varying degrees, it has been found best to use a non-corrosive metal in the seats, valves, and screws and to protect the spring against corrosion so far as practicable.

l have preferred to employ an alloy known as ll lonel metal for the ports 2 and all portions oi the valve member 1 and to give the spring a soft chromium polish.

in the modification illustrated in Fig. 8 the collar is to be employed in a one-way air or gas pressure medium flowing appara tus, the valve member 1 having only the radially outer valve or and the gaseous pressure medium being introduced at the top of the casing K, the flow of liquid being limited to flowing through the tubing N. Otherwise the construction and operation are theisarne as in the preferred form.

In the modification illustrated in Fig, 9 the construction and operation are the same as in the modification illustrated in Fig. 8, except that the radially inner valve 5 is re tained and the radially outer valve a omitted, the gaseous pressure medium being in troduced at the top of the tubing N and the liquid being limited to flowing through the casing K.

it claim:

1. An apparatus for starting the flow of a flowing-type well, said apparatus comprising a casing disposed in a well, a tubing disposed in said casing, and a sour e of supply oil gaseous material under pressure, in combination with a series of valve seats having radially inwardly converging opposed cone faces, a

series of double ended valve members respectively extending through said valve seats and having semi-spherically formed valve heads provided on its end portions and respectively presented in opposition to the re spective faces of said seats, said seats and i.

valves being disposed different vertical levels in the wall of said tubing, yielding means for holding each said valve in neutral position, and means for respectively connect ing said valve elements and said yielding means with a universal joint, whereby each said valve may assume any position necessary to seat itself upon its seat under ressure.

2, An apparatus for starting t e how of a flowing-type well, said apparatus comprising a casing disposed in a well, a tubing disposed in said casing, and a source ct supply of gaseous material under pressure, in combination with a series of valve seats having radially inwardly converging opposed cone laces, a series of double ended valve members respectively extending through said valve seats and each having semi-spherically stormed valve headsprovided on its end portions and respec tively presented in opposition to the respec- Hill tive faces of said seats, said seats and valves being disposed at difl'erent vertical levels in the wall oi. said tubing, yielding means for holding each said valve in neutral position,

and means for respectively connecting said valve elements and said yielding means with a loose joint permitting wobbling movement between them, whereby each said valve may assume any position necessary to seat itself upon its seat under pressure.

3. An apparatus for starting the flow of a flowing-type well, said apparatus comprising a casing disposed in a well, a tubin disposed in said casing, and a source of supp y of gaseous material under pressure, in'combination with a collar interposed in said tubing and havin an internal bore of substantially the same diameter as, and in uninterrupted communication with, said tubing in both :directions, a valve seat provided in the wall of said collar, a double ended valve member extending through said valve seat and having substantially semi-spherically formed valve heads provided on its end portions and respectively presented in opposition to the respective faces of said seats, and means secured to said collar and yieldingly holding said valve in operative position and permitting the same to wobble with relation to its seat, whereby said valve member may assume any position necessary to seat itself under pressure. 1

' 4. Anapparatus for starting the flow of a flowing-type well, said apparatus comprising a collar adapted to be interposed in the tubing of the well, said collar havin an internal bore normally in communication with said tubing in both directions, a valve seat provided in the wall of said collar and having radially inwardly converging opposed concave faces, a valve member extending through said valve seat and having convex valve heads provided on its end portions and respectively presented in opposition to the respective faces of said seat, and means connected to said collar and yieldingly holding said valve member in position and permitting the same to wobble with relation to its seat, whereby said Valve member may assume any position necessary to seat itself in either direction upon its seat under pressure.

5. An apparatus for starting the flow of a flowing-type well, said apparatus comprising a collar adapted to be interposed in the tubing of the well, said collar having an internal. bore of substantially the same diameter as, and adapted to be in uninterrupted communication with, said tubing in both directions, a valve seat provided in the wall of said collar and having a concave face, a valve member extending through said valve seat and having at one end portion a convex valve head 0pposed to said concave face and provided with an enlargement on its other end portion, and means yieldin ly holding said valve member in position an permitting the same to wobble memes 

